Infection
by Cand
Summary: Symptoms of the t-virus start to reappear in Jill.
1. What Would Happen

Background: After Resident Evil Code Veronica. Chris, Jill, Claire, Leon, Barry, and Rebecca are still trying to take down Umbrella. Claire and Leon are engaged. Chris and Jill are still on just-friends status.  
  
Note: I'm going to try and get less cheesy with this. I always take a while to get into my stories, but I promise you it really is about what the summary says. I don't know if it is scientifically possible, but I also don't really care. If you're a stickler for that stuff, you probably shouldn't read this. Oh, and sorry for any inconsistencies or inaccuracies with the game, I haven't played them in a while. Carlos will come into play later.  
  
Feedback: Always appreciated! No flames please. Constructive criticism welcome.  
  
Also: *'s indicate thoughts not said out loud.  
  
  
  
  
  
INFECTION  
  
*Oh man...since when was jogging so exhausting?* Jill wondered as she collapsed on the couch. She had been fatigued more than usual in the past couple of weeks. Chalking it up to the winter flu that was spreading around, she shrugged it off and closed her eyes. "I just need to get some rest and increase my Vitamin C intake, and I'll be fine," Jill muttered to herself.  
  
"Talking to yourself again, Valentine?" a voice teased from somewhere in the room. Jill didn't need to open her eyes to recognize the source of that voice. Only one voice could make her heart flutter like that.  
  
"You know me, Redfield," she answered, keeping her eyes closed. She was so tired. However, a movement on the couch finally caused her to open them, only to meet the gaze of a concerned Christopher Redfield. Sharing a piece of the couch with Jill's feet, he put his hand on Jill's forehead to feel if she was warm.  
  
"Still not feeling well?" he asked her seriously.  
  
"Just a touch of the flu," Jill told him.  
  
"Jill, you've been saying that for the past three weeks," he said, not buying her excuse. "Besides, you don't even have a fever."  
  
"I just got back from a jog, give me a break," she snapped, rolling her eyes. She hated being treated like a child. Though she had to admit, the fact that he was worrying over her was really cute.  
  
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," he said quickly. "But you know...maybe you shouldn't be jogging if you're not feeling well..."  
  
"Please don't start," she grunted. "I can take care of myself." Noticing the tension she caused, she decided to try and lighten the mood a little. "Besides, I have to watch my girlish figure," she said and batted her eyelashes at him with a smile.  
  
Chris gave a little chuckle. "Ah, Valentine, what would I ever do without you?" he asked with a smile in his eyes. "But seriously, I want you to take care of yourself."  
  
Jill just winked at him, and then gave a little yawn. "I'll go see the doctor this week if it'll make you feel better," she relented, and closed her eyes once more.  
  
"Well, I don't know about me, but I'm sure you'll feel better," he chided. "Now rest up," he said as he got off the couch. Chris leaned down and kissed her lightly on the forehead before leaving the room.  
  
Jill's heart was beating a mile a minute. *He kissed me!* her head screamed. She almost squealed with delight. Sure, it was only a completely platonic forehead kiss, but it was still the only kiss she ever got from him. She smiled as she drifted off to sleep, dreaming about the man she was utterly and helplessly in love with.  
  
Meanwhile, Chris was pacing in the kitchen. He was more worried about Jill than he had let on- or at least more worried than she allowed him to show before she yelled at him. Her body was behaving very strangely. On some days, she would be fine and ordinary, but on others she would be extremely worn out. Chris didn't think it was anything serious; he was just worried that she was working herself too hard. Not that he could blame her. They were all determined to take down Umbrella as fast as possible. He glanced up as his sister Claire walked into the room.  
  
"Something on your mind, big bro?" she asked, noticing his pacing.  
  
"Nah, I'm just kind of worried about Jill," he stated.  
  
Claire gave a knowing smile. "Of course you are. What else is new?"  
  
Chris glared at her. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"  
  
Claire rolled her eyes. "When are the two of you just going to go easy on yourselves and admit that you love each other?"  
  
If he was the type to blush, Chris Redfield would have turned beet- red at that moment. "Knock it off," he grumbled. He had to give her credit though. She could see right through him. Chris had it bad for Jill Valentine. *If only she felt the same way...* he thought, but he knew that it wasn't possible. Jill would always see him as a friend and only a friend.  
  
Deciding to give her brother a break, Claire stopped her line of teasing and asked, "Why are you worried about her?"  
  
"Because it's only four o'clock and she's already passed out on the couch," he answered.  
  
"Again?" Claire asked, furrowing her brow. Jill seemed to be drained a lot lately.  
  
"Yeah," he said simply.  
  
Just then, Leon sauntered into the kitchen. He gave an acknowledging nod to Chris, who returned the courtesy. "Hey babe," he said to Claire as he snaked his arm around her waist and gave her a small peck on the lips.  
  
"Hey there," she smiled at him, and the newly engaged couple just stood there, staring at each other like idiots. Well, idiots in love.  
  
Chris cleared his throat. "Uh, I guess that's my cue to leave," he said, and realized that neither of them had even bothered to look up. Shaking his head, he left the room and muttered to himself, "It's going to be a long day."  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
Four hours later, Chris was looking over some Umbrella documents in his room with the door open when he heard a slight moaning sound. It sounded like the noise was coming from the living room. "Jill," Chris said, and immediately ran towards the moans. Sure enough, Jill was lying on the couch, twisting and turning in what seemed like a nightmare. He repositioned himself on the spot of the couch by Jill's feet where he had been sitting before, and put his hands on her shoulders. Shaking her gently, he softly said, "Jill, wake up." When she didn't acknowledge him, he shook her a little harder. "Wake up, wake up, wake-"  
  
Suddenly, Jill sat up with rocket-like speed and gasped heavily for air. She looked around her, adjusting to the surroundings, and finally noticed Chris. Immediately, she moved over and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest.  
  
"Shhhhh, it's okay, it's only a dream," he soothed lightly.  
  
Once Jill collected herself, she slowly pulled away with a slight blush on her cheeks. "Sorry about that," she muttered.  
  
"Don't be," he said. "That must have been some dream, huh?" he asked.  
  
"Oh Chris, it was awful," she nodded.  
  
"Wanna talk about it?" he offered, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.  
  
"It's really stupid," she said, but when she saw the look of encouragement on his face, she sighed and figured she should just tell him what happened. "This is basically what happened. You, me, and the gang were in Umbrella territory, fighting a lot of zombies. Then there was this one zombie, and it was going after you, so I tried to kill it, but it wouldn't die. The zombie finally turned towards me, but instead of being a regular zombie, it was me! I swear Chris, just imagine me with rotting flesh for a face and that was what the thing looked like." Chris cringed at the image Jill put in his mind. He didn't like thinking of Jill like that. "So anyway," she continued, "it just really creeped me out." Jill laughed lightly and looked up at Chris. "See, I told you it was stupid."  
  
"I don't think it was stupid at all," he said gravely. "Don't feel bad about it Jill. We've all had dreams like those, even me, thanks to Umbrella. And unfortunately, when we wake up, the nightmare isn't completely over because we know that there's really zombies and other monsters out there."  
  
"Yeah," Jill sighed again. "But why do you think zombie-me attacked you?" she asked, upset at the thought. That part of the dream had probably bothered her the most.  
  
"Well, I'm no dream analyst. But maybe it was just because you went to bed angry with me for pestering you about your health," he said jokingly and flashed her his gorgeous Redfield smile.  
  
Jill smiled back and hit him lightly with one of the couch pillows. "I'm trying to be serious here. I was really upset by that. You know that I'd never want to do anything to hurt you," she commented softly and looked deep into his eyes.  
  
Chris stared back for a long moment, lost in her gaze, before replying. "Jill, don't worry about it. It was just a dream. Besides, it wasn't really you, it was zombie-you. Now, let's get your mind off your dream," he said and jumped off the couch, pulling her up with him.  
  
"What did you have in mind?" she wondered.  
  
"I, dearest Jill, am going to teach you how to dance," he told her with a devilish smirk forming on his face.  
  
"Oh no you don't, Redfield," Jill responded and pulled away from him. "You know that I hate to dance."  
  
"That's only because you can't do it," he countered.  
  
"Since when did you become Lord of the Dance anyways?" she grumbled, slowly resigning to her fate.  
  
"I've been dying to teach you to dance ever since I saw you dancing, if you could even call it dancing, at Leon and Claire's engagement party," he stated matter-of-factly. Besides, he needed a good excuse just to hold her in his arms. "I don't think that I've ever laughed harder in my life. As your friend, I think it's my obligation to prevent you from embarrassing yourself like that again in the future."  
  
Jill narrowed her eyes at him. "You're skating on thin ice," she warned.  
  
"Please?" he pleaded at her, giving her his best pout and puppy-dog eyes.  
  
*How can I say 'no' to that face?* she wondered. Of course, she didn't really mind, because by dancing she'd be getting really close to him. "Oh, alright, do your worst."  
  
Chris flashed her a winning smile and walked over to the CD player in the room. He didn't know what CD to put in. His CDs, such as Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, and Cake, weren't really good for the kind of dancing he was hoping for. Instead, he just shoved in one of Claire's CDs and hoped that he would get a good song.  
  
He then heard a woman singing and listened to the words.  
  
  
  
Electricity, eye to eye  
  
Hey don't I know you  
  
I can't speak  
  
  
  
Chris and Jill's eyes met and then they looked away quickly. "Sorry," Chris muttered and went to go change the song, but Jill stopped him.  
  
"This will be fine," she said. It wasn't really a song that was easy to dance too, but she figured they could manage. He just nodded at her.  
  
  
  
Stripped my senses  
  
On the spot  
  
I've never been defenseless  
  
I can't even make sense of this  
  
You speak and I don't hear a word  
  
  
  
Chris placed his hands on Jill's waist and she placed hers on his shoulders. "Just follow my lead," he directed as he swayed back and forth.  
  
  
  
What would happen if we kissed  
  
Would your tongue slip past my lips  
  
Would you run away, would you stay  
  
Or would I melt into you  
  
Mouth to mouth, lust to lust  
  
Spontaneously combust  
  
  
  
Jill listened to the words as she imagined kissing Chris. Chris, unsurprisingly, was having the same thoughts of Jill. Unfortunately, neither of them knew what the other was thinking.  
  
  
  
The room is spinning out of control  
  
Act like you didn't notice  
  
Brushed my hand  
  
  
  
Forbidden fruit  
  
Ring on my finger  
  
You're such a moral, moral man  
  
You throw it away, no question  
  
Will I pretend I'm innocent  
  
  
  
Still swaying lightly, Jill sighed and rested her head on Chris's chest. The two were only inches away now. Chris was thinking that it felt so right.  
  
  
  
What would happen if we kissed  
  
Would your tongue slip past my lips  
  
Would you run away, would you stay  
  
Or would I melt into you  
  
Mouth to mouth, lust to lust  
  
Spontaneously combust  
  
  
  
Jill pulled her head away from Chris's chest and stared at his mouth. Maybe if she stared hard enough, he would kiss her.  
  
*Why is she looking at me all weird?* Chris wondered densely. *She's probably wishing that she were anywhere else right now* he figured.  
  
  
  
I struggle with myself again  
  
Quickly the walls are crumbling  
  
Don't know if I can turn away  
  
  
  
Suddenly Jill, being the horrible dancer that she was, tripped over Chris's feet and felt right towards him, almost knocking him over. Chris caught her in his arms and she grabbed on to him tightly to keep herself from falling and to regain her balance. She was breathing heavily and her face was only inches away from Chris's lips.  
  
  
  
What would happen if we kissed  
  
Would your tongue slip past my lips  
  
Would you run away, would you stay  
  
Or would I melt into you  
  
Mouth to mouth  
  
  
  
They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment. All of a sudden, Jill was hit by an extreme wave of fatigue. *Oh God, not now,* she begged. *Anytime but now.*  
  
  
  
If we kissed  
  
Would your tongue slip past my lips  
  
Would you run away, would you stay  
  
Or would I melt into you  
  
Mouth to mouth  
  
  
  
If we kissed  
  
  
  
Chris slowly but surely inched his lips closer to Jill's. *Here goes nothing,* he thought and closed his eyes, waiting for his lips to reach hers. Jill's eyes closed too, but for a different reason. For in that moment, right as Chris's lips were about to connect with hers and give her the kiss of a lifetime, she fainted from exhaustion.  
  
  
  
________________________________  
  
Song credit: "What Would Happen" by Meredith Brooks 


	2. You Were Right

A startled Christopher Redfield opened up his eyes after feeling Jill go limp in his arms. "Jill!" he cried out with worry. "Come on, this isn't funny. You don't have to pretend to faint just to avoid kissing me," he said nervously after a second of silence. He never thought he'd actually wish for Jill to reject him, but that was better than the alternative of her being seriously ill. However, after Jill's unmoving body failed to respond to him, he picked her up and carried her back to the couch she had been resting on before.  
  
"Come on, Jill, wake up," he pleaded, slapping her cheeks lightly while kneeling on the ground.  
  
"What's going on?" Claire called out, walking into the room hand-in- hand with Leon.  
  
"Jill fainted," Chris answered tensely.  
  
"Oh man, is she all right?" Leon asked with alarm.  
  
"Don't know. Get Becky," was the only reply Chris gave. *Should I take her to the hospital?* Chris wondered.  
  
Claire ran out of the room, looking for the young medic. Leon just stood where he was, paralyzed with helplessness. "That's it, I'm taking her to the hospital," Chris announced. A few moments later, just as Chris was about to pick up Jill, her brown eyes opened. She blinked, adjusting to her surroundings, and noticed Chris staring at her intently.  
  
"Wow, deja vu," she chuckled lightly. How many times today did her eyes open to the sight of Chris Redfield? Not that she minded. *In fact, maybe I should try and sleep on the couch more often...* she thought.  
  
"Are you okay?" Chris asked her tenderly, interrupting her thoughts.  
  
Jill was a little started by the question, as well as his tone of voice. She then noticed Leon standing a couple of feet away from her, looking on with concern. Then it all hit her- the dance, the kiss, well the almost kiss, and her little fainting spell. "I'm fine," she said, trying to shrug it off. She gave Chris a sheepish smile and started to sit up, but Chris was having none of that.  
  
He put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her down, gently but firmly. "Lay down," he ordered. Jill grudgingly complied, but cheered up when Chris kept his arms on her shoulders. Hearing a rush of footsteps, she looked up to see a frantic Claire and Rebecca rushing to her side.  
  
"Jill, are you all right?" Rebecca asked. Before giving Jill a chance to answer she pushed Chris aside, felt Jill's forehead for warmth, and shoved a thermometer in Jill's mouth.  
  
Bubbling with laughter, Jill took the thermometer and out her mouth and smiled at Rebecca. "Becky, I'm okay. Somebody has just been overreacting," she said, staring at Chris with amusement.  
  
The hilarity Jill felt, though, was not shared by Chris. He didn't find anything funny about the situation. "I wasn't overreacting. You passed out for absolutely no reason. In fact, I'm taking you to the hospital. Now."  
  
"I'm not going anywhere. I just haven't been feeling well lately. Besides, we've all been under a lot of stress from not getting any good leads on Umbrella. My body just handles it worse than the rest of you," Jill reasoned.  
  
"She's right," Rebecca admitted hesitantly. "In some cases, depending on the person, overstressing can cause extreme symptoms, such as fainting." Chris gave her a glare that made her wish she kept her mouth shut, and Jill smiled triumphantly.  
  
"Or," Claire played devil's advocate, "you can be really sick, and the more you resist getting checked out, the worse you're going to get." She hoped that wasn't the case, but Jill was her friend and if something was wrong, it would be best to find out about it as soon as possible.  
  
"She's right," Leon added. "It couldn't hurt for you to get checked out. If nothing's wrong, you can say 'I told you so,' and rub it in our faces to your heart's content. But if there is something wrong, don't you think you should know about it?"  
  
"Then it's settled," Chris stated just as Jill was opening her mouth to protest. "Your going to the doctor. Tomorrow. And that's final."  
  
"Yes mom," Jill mocked. After getting a warning glare from Chris, she relented. "Okay, okay. I'll go and see the doctor tomorrow. Happy?"  
  
Everyone seemed satisfied and soon they all went back to whatever they had been doing before, leaving Chris and Jill alone in the room. Chris helped Jill up from the couch and the pair just stood around awkwardly. Jill cleared her throat and said, "Well, I guess I'll be headed for my room then."  
  
Chris gave her a curt nod and mumbled a 'goodnight.' As Jill was walking away, however, he couldn't resist the urge to stop her. "Jill, wait," he called out. She turned and looked at him expectantly.  
  
*Great, now what am I going to say?* he wondered. *I should tell her that I love her. I should tell her that I was upset that we didn't get to kiss. I should say how terrified I was when she fainted in my arms.* "Uh, I'm really glad you're going to the doctor tomorrow," he stated lamely and looked down at the ground. *Wuss,* he thought to himself.  
  
Jill was disappointed. She thought that maybe he would say something about their unfinished kiss. Instead he only brought up the stupid doctor. *Oh, give him a break about the kiss thing, Jill. He was probably just wrapped up in the moment, because of the song and everything.* "Well, I'm glad your glad," she commented, not knowing what to say. Sighing, Jill turned back around and finished the trek to her room.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
The next morning, Jill trotted into the kitchen, dressed and refreshed. Claire was already sitting down at the table, putting jam on a piece of toast. As Jill toasted her own bread, she noticed that Claire had been repeatedly moving her knife back and forth on the same spot, as if she was distracted by something. In fact, Jill didn't even think Claire noticed that she was in the room yet.  
  
"Good morning, Claire," Jill greeted.  
  
Her friend looked up slowly. "Morning," she muttered softly in reply.  
  
"Is something wrong?" Jill inquired.  
  
"Why would you think something is wrong?" Claire asked defensively.  
  
Jill put her hands on her hips. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you're about to burn a whole through the bread from spreading jam on the same spot over and over and over and over and over-"  
  
"Okay, okay, you're right," Claire gave in. "Something is bothering me."  
  
Taking a seat next to Claire, Jill asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"  
  
"Well...I was just...I was thinking about Steve," Claire let out slowly, with a little crack in her voice.  
  
"Oh...I'm sorry," Jill told her, unsure of what to say. Comforting people wasn't a skill that Jill had much experience with. She took a look at Claire's forlorn face, and decided to ask her a personal question. "You loved him, didn't you?"  
  
Claire looked down at the table, and too overcome with emotion to answer with words, she simply nodded. After a few moments, she looked and Jill and said, "Don't get me wrong, I love Leon too. I love him more than anything and I'm glad that we're going to get married. It's just that...well...I still think of Steve. Everyday. I think of the way he died. And sometimes, I feel so guilty for moving on. Not that we ever had a chance to really develop anything, but I know that he cared about me. I just wish...I wish that he didn't have to die. Even if we couldn't be together, it would be so much easier to move on if he wasn't...dead."  
  
Jill squeezed Claire's shoulder, trying to provide some reassurance. "I know that this must be really hard for you. I hope that someday you'll stop feeling guilty for moving on, because you know Steve would want you to do that. But until then, just remember how lucky you are to have the love of 'the boy wonder.' "  
  
That response brought about a little laugh from Claire. "Thanks, Jill. You're right you know. I really am lucky to have such a great guy like Leon."  
  
"Did I hear my name?" Leon asked, just heading into the kitchen at the moment. He was muffling a yawn with one hand and scratching his butt with another.  
  
Claire gave a disapproving look at Leon's vulgar gesture and then looked at Jill. They both burst out laughing. "Never mind. Forget I said anything," she told Jill.  
  
Leon just looked at the two girls and shrugged. He grabbed some milk from the fridge and drank out of the carton before putting it back. After giving Claire a little kiss, he noticed Jill's abandoned toast in the toaster, grabbed it, and said, "Later." With that, Leon was gone.  
  
"Now what are we going to do with that boy?" Jill asked, but Claire was simply staring after him with adoring eyes. *I'll never understand those two,* Jill decided. She was going to go make some more toast, but then remembered that she was supposed to go to the doctor. *I shouldn't eat, incase the doctor wants to get blood work done. Oh well.*  
  
"I'll see you later, Claire," Jill called out and walked out of the room. Then she saw Chris standing by the door with his jacket on. The leather jacket with the phrase "Made In Heaven" on it. *Yummy,* Jill reflected. She loved that jacket. "Going somewhere?"  
  
"I'm taking you to the doctor," Chris replied nonchalantly.  
  
Jill laughed. "Calm down, Chris. I haven't even made the appointment yet. I don't even know if the doctor will be able to fit me in."  
  
"I took care of it," he informed her. "You're appointment is in fifteen minutes, so let's go."  
  
Jill shot Chris an irritated look. "When are you going to stop treating me like I'm five-years old?"  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"The past few weeks, you've been treating me as if I'm some fragile little baby. You're so overbearing sometimes that I just can't take it!" Jill exclaimed in frustration. She regretted the words immediately after she said them, especially when a flash of hurt shot across Chris's eyes.  
  
Chris looked down at the ground. "I'm just...I worry about you, that's all. I care about you, Jill, and if anything ever happened to you, I don't know what I'd do."  
  
*Oh great, make me feel worse by saying something so incredibly sweet like that,* Jill thought. She grabbed the sides of his jacket and looked up into his eyes. "Chris, I care about you too, you know that. But you also know that I can take care of myself. I've been on my own for a long time."  
  
"I know, I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?" he asked, flashing her his cutest smile.  
  
"You know I can't stay mad at you, you jerk," she laughed. "And I'm sorry about yelling at you before, I didn't mean it. However, I am going to the doctor alone, thank you very much."  
  
Chris was about to protest, but realized that Jill would only get more mad at him, so he decided to keep his mouth shut. "Fine. But you better actually go."  
  
"Want me to bring a doctor's note?" Jill asked with fake sweetness.  
  
"Very funny. Now get out of here, Valentine," he directed and playfully slapped her ass.  
  
"You better watch it, Redfield," she bantered back. Grabbing her jacket, she winked at Chris and walked out of the door.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
*Dammit, how long does it take to get blood work done?* Jill wondered impatiently. She felt like she had been at the doctor's for hours. In fact, she Ihad/I been at the doctor's for hours. The waiting room was empty, and Jill had looked over every magazine in the office at least twice.  
  
Finally, a young woman opened the door and said, "Ms. Valentine? The doctor is ready to see you again. You can go straight to Doctor Hart's office this time."  
  
Jill smiled at the woman and walked into the doctor's office. Doctor Hart, a man of about fifty-five, was waiting for her at his desk. "Jill, have a seat please," he offered. She sat down across from him and waited nervously. "I'm sorry that took so long. We found something most unusual with your blood at the lab. I'm not sure at this point if it's good or bad, but it might be the reason for some of the symptoms you've been encountering recently."  
  
"What is it?" Jill asked worriedly. *Maybe my friends were right when they said that I was really sick.*  
  
  
  
"Well, it seems as if your blood cells are...mutating, so to speak."  
  
Jill paled. "Mutating? What do you mean by that?"  
  
"It's hard to explain. It's almost as if the cells are decaying. Not dying, just decaying."  
  
"What's causing it?" Jill wondered.  
  
The doctor shook his head. "I wish I could tell you, Jill. The truth is, I've never encountered anything like this before. I did notice, however, that the cells seem to be rejecting some form of medication. Have you been taking any medication lately? Or perhaps, a vaccine? Maybe even...well, to be quite frank, have you taken drugs?"  
  
At first, Jill couldn't think of anything. Besides maybe some Advil once and a while, she hardly every took medication, and she certainly never did drugs. Then, she suddenly had a realization. *Oh, God no. The T- virus vaccination. The doctor said my cells were decaying. What if....what if I'm-* she refused to keep on that line of thinking. "Uh, about I year ago, I had a vaccination for, uh, the flu."  
  
The doctor looked thoughtful. "If these were flu-like tendencies of the blood, I might say that the vaccination simply stopped working. But the flu is hardly strong enough to eat away at the immune system continuously enough to wear out a vaccination. Besides, this blood mutation isn't a symptom of the flu."  
  
Jill felt her heart fall to the ground. *Oh God. It all makes sense now. The flu may not be strong enough to eat at one's immune system long enough to outlast a vaccination, but I'm sure the T-virus is. And mutating, decaying, whatever you want to call it, that is definitely a symptom of the T-virus. The process is probably just going slower than usual because of the vaccination. Oh God, how could this be happening?*  
  
"I'd like to take further tests to see if we can figure out exactly what's happening to you."  
  
"No thank you, Doctor Hart, that won't be necessary," Jill replied briskly.  
  
"Miss Valentine, I highly recommend that-"  
  
"I said, it won't be needed," Jill stressed forcefully. "I'm sure whatever it is will heal itself on its on right. You said yourself, you didn't know if it was necessarily bad."  
  
"Yes, but-"  
  
"Goodbye, Doctor Hart, thank you for fitting me in," Jill said and left the room quickly. Once out of the office, Jill ran as fast as she could until she was out of the building. She respired heavily and leaned against the wall. "Okay, calm down," she told herself. But she knew that wasn't possible. She was dying. Not only was she dying, in fact, but also she was turning into a zombie. A horrible, hideous creature. This was worse than when she was infected in Raccoon City. At least there, she only had a couple hours at most to think about it. Who knew how long she'd have to think about her fate now. Days? Weeks? Maybe months? One thing was for sure, though. She needed to clear her head. Jill got into her car and drove as far away from the building and her fate as possible.  
  
  
  
You were wrong when you said  
  
Everything's gonna be alright  
  
You were wrong when you said  
  
Everything's gonna be alright  
  
  
  
You were right when you said  
  
All that glitters isn't gold  
  
You were right when you said  
  
All we are is dust in the wind  
  
You were right when you said  
  
We are all just bricks in the wall  
  
And when you said manic depression's  
  
A frustrating mess  
  
  
  
You were wrong when you said  
  
Everything's gonna be alright  
  
You were wrong when you said  
  
Everything's gonna be alright  
  
  
  
You were right when you said  
  
You can't always get what you want  
  
You were right when you said  
  
It's a hard rain's gonna fall  
  
You were right when you said  
  
We're still running against the wind  
  
And life goes on long after  
  
The thrill of living is gone  
  
You were right when you said  
  
This is the end  
  
  
  
Do you ever think about it?  
  
  
  
_________________________________________________  
  
*Song credit â€" "You Were Right" by Built to Spill  
  
So, Jill is still infected with the T-virus. How will she react? Will she tell her friends what's going on? Will she admit to Chris how she feels before it's too late? Will her conversation with Claire have an impact on her actions? Read on to find out :). And please review to let me know if I should keep going! 


	3. Feeling Yourself Disintegrate

*Author's Note*: Sorry that this took so long! I've been in school hell. Plus I also got sidetracked with the Winter Olympics. My apologies. Thank you to those who have taken the time to review. I myself haven't had time to check out stories lately, but I will soon. I hope you enjoy the story :).  
  
  
  
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Jill pulled up to the house with an extreme sense of dread. She had wanted to run away, to stay as far away from her friends as possible, but she knew that she couldn't do that. She had to tie up all the loose ends first.  
  
There was no way in hell that she was going to tell them what was going on. Jill had lost many comrades in the fight against Umbrella, and knew how much it hurt. She couldn't, and wouldn't put them through that again. They had suffered enough. Instead, Jill would just have to face this on her own and hope that she could find a cure in time. If not, then this was goodbye.  
  
Jill got out of her car and entered the house with a fake smile on her face.  
  
"Where the hell have you been? Do you know how long you've been gone?" she heard a worried voice yelling immediately. *His* voice.  
  
*Oh God…how am I going to be able to leave him?* she thought, looking at Chris. Nevertheless, she kept a smile plastered on her face. "Chill out, Chris. After my appointment I went to the mall and did some window shopping, that's all."  
  
He calmed down a little bit. "Oh. Sorry for yelling. It's just that, because you took so long I thought that something went wrong at the doctor's. What did he say? Is everything alright?" he asked.  
  
Jill felt a lump form in her throat. *I don't know if I can do this…* she thought. "Yep, everything's fine. The doctor said that I was too stressed out lately and everything. I told you it was nothing to worry about."  
  
Chris sighed with relief. "Man, am I glad to hear that." He looked at her intently. *If anything ever happened to her, I don't know what I'd do…* he thought. Then he noticed a strange look in her eye. It was as if her eyes possessed a sadness that her face didn't express. "Jill, are you sure you're okay? I mean, is there something else bothering you?"  
  
In response, Jill just let her smile get larger. "Of course not, everything's fine. Stop being stupid," she teased. "Now, if you're not busy, why don't we hang out together?" Jill already decided that she was leaving tomorrow and she wanted to spend as much time with him as she could before then.  
  
Chris was still convinced that Jill was keeping something from him, but he shrugged it off. "No, I'm not busy. What did you have in mind?" he asked.  
  
"Just, you know, everyday things that we never seem to have the time to do anymore." Chris agreed and the two decided to start by watching a movie together.  
  
Afterwards, the pair did everything from playing a one-on-one game of basketball to playing against each other in video games. Jill almost forgot her soon-to-be fate, but she still never let her thoughts get too far from her.  
  
Around dinnertime, Jill insisted to everyone that they all eat together. She watched them all carefully, as if she could make up for never seeing them again by cramming as much as she could into these last moments. While eating, Jill laughed as Leon got food all over his face and Rebecca spilled her water all over the table. Claire's knack for creating interesting dinner conversation was another thing she'd miss.  
  
But most of all, she'd miss Chris. His cute smile and his boyish charm. The way he was protective about the ones he loved. And so many other things…  
  
"You've been quiet tonight, Jill. Is everything alright?" she felt Chris whisper into her ear.  
  
She nodded. "I've just been thinking, about everything and nothing," she told him. When he saw that she wasn't going to elaborate any further, Chris let it go. The group finally finished their dinner, and once Jill offered to do the dishes, everybody left to go do their own thing.  
  
"I'll help you with that," Chris told her. He cleaned the plates as Jill dried them with a rag. While doing his chore, Chris was observing Jill. *She still looks so sad* he noticed. Feeling mischievous and wanting to cheer her up, Chris sprayed some water from the sink onto Jill.  
  
The look she gave him was priceless. "You jerk! I'm going to get you for that," she said with mock anger. The two struggled for control of the faucet, and after a couple of minutes they both ended up drenched and laughing.  
  
"Your hair is soaked!" Jill sputtered out between enormous laughs.  
  
"Yeah, well so is yours!" Chris countered, which only made Jill laugh harder. She was laughing as if she was on the verge of hysteria. Chris looked and her and smiled. It was so good to see her laughing like that. *She looks so beautiful when she laughs…* he noticed longingly. Before he knew what he was doing, he said what he had been holding inside of him for so long. "I love you." As soon as he said the words, Jill's laughter ceased abruptly. Chris immediately paled. *Oh my God. Did I actually just say that?*  
  
Jill was equally as surprised at his confession. "What…what did you just say?" she asked slowly. *Did he just say that he loved me?!?*  
  
Swallowing hard, Chris worked up his courage and repeated his words. "I said, I love you."  
  
For a moment, Jill's heart was filled with an immense happiness. *He loves me! I've been hoping to hear him say that for so long…* Then, reality hit Jill. She was dying. He may love her, and she of course loved him, but it didn't matter. She would turn into a zombie soon, and he would be devastated. There was no way that she could tell him how she felt. *Just one night, Jill. Let yourself have this one night to remember him by…this one night to make up for all the days and nights that you will be robbed of in the future.* After convincing herself, Jill finally told him how she felt. "I love you too, Chris." She knew it was selfish to do this to him, to make him hope and dream about a future when she was just going to leave the next day, but she couldn't help it.  
  
As soon as she said the words, Chris felt as if a huge weight was taken from his shoulders. He gently cupped her dripping face and pushed away a wet strand of her brown hair. With great care and gentleness, he leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips.  
  
By neither of their faults, but rather because of a force so strong that neither could deny, the kiss soon erupted into a fiery passion. Each kissed the other with desperation, longing, and love.  
  
Eventually, Jill broke off the kiss. "We shouldn't do this here," she said. "Let's go somewhere more private."  
  
Chris nodded and took her hand in his, interlocking their fingers together. He slowly led her up to his room and closed the door behind them. Jill smiled devilishly and slowly took off her shirt, surprising Chris. He couldn't believe how fast they were taking this. But if she was ready, so was he. They both had been waiting a long time for this. Soon, Chris had lost all train of thought and simply reveled in Jill. The two came together and shared an amazing night of passion as they made love. Eventually, though, the night came to an end and both laid exhaustedly on the bed. Jill pretended to fall asleep as Chris lightly stroked her arm with his fingertips.  
  
"I love you, my Valentine," Chris whispered to her still form, and he started to go into a slumber himself. He wrapped his arms around Jill protectively and closed his eyes, falling into a peaceful sleep.  
  
Jill felt another lump form in her throat as he murmured his words of love to her. All she could think of was what she would soon be doing. She would leave and he would wake up the next morning, confused and heartbroken. *Maybe I should just tell him what's happening to me…maybe he can help* she thought hopefully. But then she remembered Claire's words to her earlier that day, referring to Steve:  
  
  
  
"Even if we couldn't be together, it would be so much easier to move on if he wasn't...dead."  
  
  
  
Jill couldn't let Chris go through life feeling the same guilt that Claire felt. She needed to make sure that he could move on with his life. It would be selfish of her to make him watch her die. Sure, it was possible that he could help her. Rebecca's medical skills would be especially helpful to her dilemma. But if her friends couldn't help, and she died, she knew that Chris would never forgive himself. If there was no hope for her future, she at least wanted Chris to have the opportunity to be happy. So she had to leave, never to come back unless she miraculously came upon a cure. And she had to make sure that he wouldn't follow her or look for her. She had to break his heart.  
  
Carefully detangling herself from Chris's strong arms, Jill got off the bed and put on her discarded clothes. She wrote a final note to Chris, filled with untrue words that hurt her as much as they would hurt him. Before she left the room, she gave a last longing glance to his sleeping form and fought hard to hold back tears. "I love you. Please forgive me," she whispered, knowing that he couldn't hear her. She walked out the door, closing it softly behind her. Jill then went to her own room and gathered some clothes and whatever money she had.  
  
With a firm resolve, Jill walked quietly throughout the house, heading for the door. As she left, she finally felt tears falling from her eyes. Jill didn't cry often; she didn't even cry when she found out she was dying. But between the overwhelming emotions that enveloped her and the extreme exhaust she felt, she found that she could no longer hold everything inside. She sobbed quietly for a few minutes before she was able to collect herself. Then, without looking back, she hailed a cab and ordered the driver to take her to the airport. She didn't know where she was going to go at that moment. All that she knew was that she had to get away and leave everything behind as soon as possible, before she changed her mind.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
Hours later, well after the sun had risen, Chris woke up. As he woke, memories of the previous night flashed through his mind. He smiled and felt around for the cause of his happiness. After he arms failed to find Jill, he opened his eyes to see that she wasn't there. Lying in her place was an envelope, with the name "Chris" scrawled on the front in Jill's handwriting. He grabbed the envelope curiously and wondered why Jill had left. *She probably went to get breakfast* he thought with a smile. Jill knew how cranky he could get in the mornings if he didn't immediately have some coffee. He ripped open the envelope, took out the letter, and read it slowly.  
  
  
  
~Dearest Chris,  
  
I wish that I had the guts to tell you this in person, but I don't. Last night was a mistake and it never should have happened. After you said those three words to me last night, I was in shock. I got caught up in the moment, and mistakenly told you that I felt the same way. I know that "being caught up in the moment" is hardly an excuse for breaking your heart, but sadly it is the truth. Please know that I am deeply sorry. You are my best friend and I care for you deeply. I never meant to hurt you. I know things have changed between us now, for we have crossed a line that friends can never uncross. To prevent the awkwardness I know that we will feel around each other, I had to leave…for good. I couldn't bear to see you filled with the pain that I had caused. Perhaps someday I will return. But if I don't, please don't come looking for me. I deserve the chance to move on in my life, and so do you. Please tell everybody that I will miss them all. I hope that one day you will understand, and believe that I am truly sorry.  
  
Your friend,  
  
Jill~  
  
  
  
Chris blinked slowly and was filled with disbelief. Thinking he was imagining things, he read the letter over and over, hoping that the words would be different each time. But the words remained the same. Chris was glad that he was sitting on the bed because he started to feel dizzy, as if his whole world was falling apart. He felt his heart shatter into a million tiny pieces.  
  
His Jill, his Valentine, didn't love him. Not only that, but she had left to God knows where, possibly gone forever. Was she really gone? He didn't know what to say, didn't know what he could do to make it all better. Chris half expected for Jill to come walking through the door any minute, telling him that it was a joke. Her emotions had seemed so real last night. Did he really just imagine that? It was probably his wishful thinking.  
  
So many emotions rushed through him. Not only did he feel heartbroken and empty, he was also angry. How could she do this to him? If she didn't love him, she should have just told him last night. Sure, he would be upset, but dealing with rejection would be easier to deal with than this. Instead, she had gotten his hopes up and then tore them down with an unimaginable force. And the best she could say was the she was *sorry*?!? Why the hell should he care if she was sorry? At that moment, he felt like he hated her.  
  
But at the same time, he knew that he could never hate her. As angry as he was, he still loved her with all his heart. He wanted so badly to go after her. Even if she didn't love him, he still needed her in his life. He simply couldn't imagine living each day without seeing her. However, she had asked him not to look for her.  
  
*What should I do?* he wondered. Should he go after her or let things be? He had no idea of what course of action to take. *I'll decide later. I can't make my decision at this emotional state* he reasoned.  
  
Chris got up and walked to the window, staring out with deep thought. *Where are you, Jill?* he wondered. *How could you leave me?* But as he looked into the distance, he knew that he had already forgiven her.  
  
  
  
Love in our life  
  
Is just too valuable,  
  
Oh to feel  
  
For even a second without it  
  
But life without death  
  
Is just impossible,  
  
Oh to realize  
  
Something is ending within us  
  
Feeling yourself disintegrate  
  
Feeling yourself disintegrate  
  
Feeling yourself disintegrate  
  
Feeling yourself disintegrate…  
  
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*Song Credit: "Feeling Yourself Disintegrate" by the Flaming Lips  
  
Where will Jill go? Will Chris go after her? Do you even care? Please review and let me know :-). 


	4. Walking After You

Tonight I'm tangled in my blanket of clouds  
  
Dreaming aloud  
  
Things just won't do without you, matter of fact  
  
I'm on your back, I'm on your back, I'm on your back  
  
If you walk out on me, I'm walking after you  
  
If you walk out on me, I'm walking after you  
  
If you'd accept surrender, I'll give up some more  
  
Weren't you adored  
  
I cannot be without you, matter of fact  
  
I'm on your back, I'm on your back, I'm on your back  
  
If you walk out on me, I'm walking after you  
  
If you walk out on me, I'm walking after you  
  
Another heart is cracked in two, I'm on your back  
  
I cannot be without you, matter of fact  
  
I'm on your back, I'm on your back, I'm on your back  
  
If you walk out on me, I'm walking after you  
  
If you walk out on me, I'm walking after you  
  
If you walk out on me, I'm walking after you  
  
Another heart is cracked in two, I'm on your back  
  
  
  
  
  
The soothing rush of cigarette smoke flew down Chris's throat. It had been a long time since Chris had even looked at a cigarette, but he really felt that he needed one right now.  
  
"So, do you understand why I have to leave?" he asked of his companions, keeping a stoic expression on his face. He had gathered Claire, Leon, and Rebecca together later that day to explain where Jill had gone. Or rather, why Jill had gone, since he had no idea where. He had already decided by that point that he was going after her. In fact, he had already gathered his stuff together and was ready to leave.  
  
Chris knew that he couldn't just let her go. Sure, she had broken his heart, but it wasn't her fault. It wouldn't be fair to her to force her into a relationship that she didn't really want to be in. Besides, that would probably end up in even more heartache for him. They didn't have to be in a relationship, though. All he was hoping for at this point was to get his best friend back. It also wasn't fair for Jill to think that she had to leave Claire, Leon, and Rebecca behind just because of him.  
  
"Yeah, you know, do what you gotta do," Leon finally answered Chris, after it became clear that Rebecca and Claire weren't going to say anything. They were all in a state of shock. Chris could understand that. Hell, he was still in shock.  
  
Rebecca looked like she was going to cry. "Please, find her," she pleaded. "I miss her already!" Chris nodded in response. "Besides, you two belong together."  
  
Chris decided to ignore that last comment and looked to Claire for her approval.  
  
When Claire realized this, she sighed. "Can I have a moment alone with you?" she questioned.  
  
"Yeah," he said, and motioned towards the kitchen. After the two were alone he asked, "What's wrong?"  
  
"I'm not sure this is the best idea," she told him slowly. Chris just waited for her to elaborate. "I mean, what are you going to do when you find her?"  
  
"I'm going to ask her to come back," he said simply.  
  
Claire shook her head. "I know you, Chris. I know what you're thinking. You think that if you find her, she'll change her mind about everything once she sees you. Then, she'll tell you how much she loves you, and it'll be one big happy reunion, right?"  
  
Stung by her words, Chris looked away quickly. The sad thing was that she was right. He imagined Jill falling into his arms and telling him that she made a mistake…  
  
"See, I knew it. And if that doesn't happen Chris, then what? I don't want to see you hurting like this again."  
  
"I still want her to come back, even if I can't be with her. Claire, I… I need her," he said with a crack in his voice, showing raw emotion for the first time.  
  
Claire sighed again. "I know, Chris, I know." She went over and gave her brother a comforting hug. "Go after her," she whispered into his ear. She broke the hug shortly afterwards. "Goodbye, and good luck," she offered.  
  
"Thank you," he replied gratefully. "Say goodbye to the others. And don't do anything stupid while I'm gone," he said, smiling slightly. Without further words or emotion, he collected his things and was gone.  
  
Claire stared after him for a while. She just hoped that she would see her brother and Jill again soon.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
A tired and exhausted Jill Valentine stepped off what seemed to be the hundredth plane that day. Even though she had slept on the plane, she felt like she was going to collapse any second. *It's just jetlag,* she tried to convince herself. She removed the itchy blond wig that she had been wearing for countless hours, in case Chris tried to question anybody at the airport who might have seen her. She had also traveled on more than one plane to make her tracks harder to follow. *I just hope that the note worked, and he's not coming after me.*  
  
Her final destination was a small town in the country of Brazil. The weather was beautiful in Brazil right now, but that wasn't the reason she chose it. Instead, she was looking for a friend.  
  
Jill knew that she wouldn't be able to cure herself on her own. She was going to need a friend, an ally, somebody that she could trust. There was only one person who fit that description, besides the four people she left behind. There was also Barry, but he was too close to Chris and would probably tell him everything.  
  
Her thoughts drifted to Chris and she felt a tightness in her chest. "I miss you, Redfield," she whispered into the air. She was so emotionally drained right now. A part of her wished that her disease would just kill her immediately, because she felt like she was already dead. But she knew that she had to get cured, so that she could see Chris again one day. She also couldn't imagine turning into one of those…creatures.  
  
After renting a car, Jill drove to the address that she had written down a while ago. *I hope he's still here* she thought. If he wasn't, then she was basically on her own. She pulled up to a small, cozy house, and took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing."  
  
Jill walked slowly to the front door and knocked loudly. After five minutes, nobody answered. "Great, just great," she muttered. She came all this way and wasted all this time for nothing. Without knowing what else to do, she walked away dejectedly. But then, a shocked voice stopped her.  
  
"Jill? Is that really you?" the voice asked.  
  
She turned around and stared at him for a long moment. Cursing herself for not planning exactly what she would say to him, she just decided to get straight to the point. "Carlos, I need your help."  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
Chris grumbled angrily at no one in particular. The people around him were giving him weird looks as if he was crazy. They looked away fearfully, though, after he glared at them threateningly. One little kid actually started crying. Chris just grumbled some more and walked away.  
  
He had spent countless hours trying to find out where Jill had gone, with no luck. Nobody who had been working in the airport at the time she left recognized her, and there was nobody named Jill Valentine who had purchased a ticket. She must have had a fake passport with her. He figured this might happen. After all, the S.T.A.R.S. were taught to cover their tracks well.  
  
*Time for Plan B,* he thought, even though Plan B wasn't actually a plan. It basically included going to any place of importance that she ever mentioned to him. Places like her hometown, where she vacationed with her dad as a kid, where she always dreamed of living, and anything else he could think of. While he was doing this, he would also be using other means to track her down, of course. That's why he had called Barry and told him to find any information he could on Jill's whereabouts.  
  
Chris knew that his methods could take forever, but he didn't care. Sooner or later, he was going to find her; if it had to be later, so be it. There was no way that he was giving her up without a fight. "I'm coming, Valentine, you just wait." However, Chris didn't know that Jill wasn't going to be able to wait much longer.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
Carlos couldn't believe his eyes. Jill Valentine, the girl he had dreamed about for so long, was actually standing in front of his house. She looked just as beautiful as he remember her. "Come in," he told her, and she obeyed.  
  
Soon they were sitting at his kitchen table. Carlos was making some tea for Jill because she looked tired and a little under-the-weather. As Jill looked at him, memories she tried to forget of what they went through played in her mind. The thought of Nemesis sent chills throughout her entire body.  
  
"So, you said you needed my help?" he asked her in his thick accent, and she nodded in response. "Is this about Umbrella?"  
  
"In a way, it is. But this doesn't concern breaking into an Umbrella lab or anything like that. I came here because…because…." she drifted off. How was she supposed to say this?  
  
"Hey, you can tell me," he coaxed and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.  
  
She gave him a grateful smile in return, but it faded quickly. "Carlos…I'm dying," she said slowly. Now that she wasn't keeping it to herself, she felt a little bit better.  
  
But Carlos couldn't believe what he was hearing. He must have misheard her. "I'm sorry, I thought I heard you say that you were dying."  
  
When Jill didn't respond, he knew that he had heard right. Carlos sat down immediately and tried to process what she said. "Oh God. This can't be happening." It was so hard to believe. How could somebody so full of life be dying? He grabbed her hand and looked deeply into her eyes. "Jill, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" *What a stupid question! I'm such an idiot. Of course she's not okay.*  
  
Jill smiled warmly at him. She knew that he meant well. "I'm alright, considering the circumstances."  
  
  
  
Then, Carlos had another thought and abruptly let go of Jill's hand. "Chris must be devastated," he said. After the whole Raccoon City ordeal, once Carlos had helped Jill find Chris, he decided to part ways with them. He saw the way that they looked at each other, and the way Chris jealously acted towards him. It was obvious that Chris and Jill had deep feelings for the other, and Carlos didn't want to be there once those feelings were revealed.  
  
At the mention of Chris's name, Carlos saw Jill's eyes fill with pain. "He doesn't know," she barely whispered. "Actually, you the only person I told."  
  
Carlos dropped his jaw in shock. "What? He doesn't know? Why the hell not?"  
  
"Because I didn't want to hurt him. I couldn't let him watch me die, and see me turn into a zombie," she explained.  
  
"Whoa, Jill, hold up. A zombie? Don't you think that's a poor choice of words?" he wondered.  
  
"No, Carlos, because it's true. Remember when you gave me the vaccine for the T-virus? Well, it wasn't strong enough to completely destroy the virus, and now I'm slowly but surely turning into some horrible Umbrella experiment."  
  
All the color completely drained from Carlos's face. He remembered how he felt when Jill was infected; he was so scared. And now, it was happening again. "There has to be some mistake, Jill," he reasoned.  
  
"No, there's no mistake. I can feel it happening to my body already," she told him. Jill had absolutely no energy left. If she didn't get sleep soon, she knew that she would pass out.  
  
"Goddamn Umbrella! I swear to God, I am going to destroy them for this!" Carlos cried out with anger. When would it stop? When would Umbrella be done with their devastation?  
  
Jill smiled weakly. "It's a nice thought, but we need to be realistic. Carlos, you were the one who made the vaccine for me…so I need your help to find another vaccine, one that's more permanent this time. Will you help me?"  
  
"Jill, you know that I'd do anything to help you," he said sincerely. And it was true. He knew he'd do absolutely anything she asked of him.  
  
"Thank you. I owe you so much," she replied.  
  
"You know that you don't owe me anything, sweetheart. But I still think that you need to tell Chris about this-"  
  
"No!" she interrupted. "I've already made my decision concerning Chris, and that's final," she told him emphatically.  
  
"Okay, okay, fair enough." The last thing that he wanted to do was upset her. "Now listen, why don't you get some rest? I have an extra room that you can stay in."  
  
"I couldn't possibly intrude," she conveyed.  
  
"You wouldn't be intruding. Besides, the nearest hotel is far away from here. You're staying here, and that's final," he insisted.  
  
"Okay," she smiled and gave a big yawn. "Sleep sounds like a really good idea right now, anyway."  
  
Carlos showed her to her room and made up a bed for her. "If you need anything, anything at all, please let me know."  
  
"You've done enough already, trust me. Goodnight."  
  
"Goodnight, Jill," he whispered softly, and she was asleep in a second. "I won't let anything happen to you," he vowed, and then shut the door.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
Chris turned as he heard a scream. "Jill! Hold on, I'm coming!" He tried to run to her, but to his horror, his feet refused to move.  
  
"Don't let me die, Chris," Jill pleaded.  
  
With his body frozen in place, Chris could only watch as two zombies flanked Jill. "No! Jill, look out!" he cried.  
  
But Jill just continued to stare directly at him. "Please…you don't have much time. Please come….please," she kept saying.  
  
As the zombies reached Jill, Chris rose with a start. He looked around and noticed that he was on an airplane. Apparently, he must have had a nightmare. *That was certainly disturbing* he thought. He shuddered as images from the dream floated in his mind.  
  
Chris knew what his instincts were telling him. Something was wrong, and he had to find Jill fast. Maybe Umbrella was after her. *Or, maybe you're being paranoid,* he told himself. But when it came to Jill, he'd rather be safe than sorry. "I just hope that my instincts are wrong this time," he sighed.  
  
  
  
_____________________________________________________________________  
  
***Song Credit: "Walking After You" by the Foo Fighters  
  
Will Chris find Jill in time? Can Carlos help Jill? Will you keep reading to find out? Let me know! Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed :- ) 


	5. Creep

Note: I am so, so sorry for the wait. I was on a hiatus. My life was extremely busy until about three weeks ago, and I needed break time before I thought about writing. I am really sorry. I know how much it sucks when people don't update their stories, lol. I hope you forgive me. Sorry if there are a lot of errors, I was in such a rush to get this out that I didn't really check. This next chapter is very angsty. I need to learn how to write happy, hehe. Hope you like it.  
  
Feedback: Always appreciated! No flames please. Constructive criticism welcome.  
  
  
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Barry yelled out a string of random expletives after coming up with another dead end on finding Jill. If he wasn't so frustrated, he'd be proud at how well she had been able to cover her tracks. However, he *was* frustrated, not to mention apprehensive about the way Jill had just disappeared. It wasn't like her to run away from her problems. She was usually the type of person to face them head on. Of course, when it came to the issue of love, Barry was no expert. All he knew was that love usually screwed everything up. Chris had said that the reason Jill left had something to do with him loving her. Though, that also didn't sit well with Barry. Any idiot, with the exception of Chris, could tell that she was as smitten with him as he was with her. So why the hell would she leave? Nothing in the situation made sense, and that made Barry very uneasy and extremely anxious to find out where Jill was.  
  
The phone ringing alerted Barry from his thoughts, and he knew immediately in his gut that it was Chris. He dreaded answering the phone and telling Chris that he had found nothing. He only had one more idea, and he knew that Chris sure as hell wasn't going to like it. Nevertheless, he picked up the phone answering, "Burton."  
  
"Barry, it's me," Chris replied, knowing full well that Barry would recognize his voice. "Forgive me if I skip the idle chit chat…but did you find anything?"  
  
The anxiety that Barry was feeling, however, was nothing compared to what Chris was going through. The dreams he was having about Jill, where zombies were attacking her and he could do nothing to save her, had been going on for a week now, only they were becoming longer and more vivid. Chris was certain now that something was wrong, and she was in great danger. He couldn't explain how he knew…he just did. And that was good enough for him. The fact that he had been looking for her for a week and had virtually no clues as to her whereabouts was also taking its toll on him. She needed his help, and he was letting her down.  
  
"I haven't found anything concrete. But there is one thing…" Barry hesitated. He had a feeling that this wasn't going to be pleasant.  
  
"Barry, you have to tell me. I've looked everywhere I can think of, anyplace she's ever mentioned to me even in passing, and I've come up with nothing. Absolutely nothing. Please tell me." Chris was ashamed at the desperation in his voice, but he was becoming almost frantic.  
  
"Okay, but you're not going to like it. Since I wasn't able to find any information on Jill, I decided to go another route. Basically, I used my sources to find the address of Carlos Olivera. I thought that maybe he might know where Jill might have gone, or… well, I thought she might be with him." When Barry only heard silence on the other end of the phone, he quickly continued. "If you'd rather me send a private investigator down there to check things out, that's fine with me. It's probably a real long shot anyway."  
  
Chris felt his chest tighten at the name Carlos Olivera. He was almost tempted to tell Barry not to even waste his time. But if Jill really was in trouble, then he couldn't let his petty feelings of jealousy get in the way. "No Barry, that won't be necessary," he said calmly. "Give me the address."  
  
Barry smiled. That was the answer he expected to hear.   
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
"Would it be so hard for my stupid brother to take ten seconds out of his day and call me?" Claire yelled out to no one in particular. It wasn't unusual not to hear from Chris in a week, but she was still worried about him.  
  
Rebecca was about to respond to Claire's ranting, but the phone started ringing. Her eyes went wide and she stared at Claire. "Wow, that was so cool! It's like you have special powers."  
  
Claire rolled her eyes at Rebecca's comment, and then was further frustrated when Rebecca picked up the phone. "Hey! I want to talk to him first," she said, figuring it was Chris. Claire picked up a portable phone lying in the same room, and listened as Rebecca greeted the caller.  
  
"Hi, this is Dr. Hart. I was wondering if I could speak to Jill Valentine?" the caller asked.  
  
Rebecca was surprised that the doctor was calling. Doctors didn't usually call after check-ups unless something was wrong. "Why, is everything okay?" she inquired.  
  
"I'm not really at liberty to say…you know, doctor-patient confidentially. But I was hoping that I could again try to convince Miss Valentine to come in for more tests."  
  
"Uhmmm….I'm sorry, she's not here. Goodbye," Rebecca replied and hung up the phone. Claire hung up also. The looks that they were giving each other showed that they were thinking the same thing. "Didn't Jill say that everything went fine at the doctor's, and he told her that her problems were stress related?"  
  
"Yes, that's what she said," Claire confirmed. "But I have a feeling that she was lying. I mean, a doctor doesn't try more than once to convince you to come in for tests if you're just suffering from stress, right?" When Rebecca nodded her head, Claire decided to take action. "Rebecca, go and get Leon."  
  
"Uh, why?" she asked nervously. Claire was up to something, and Rebecca had the feeling that she wasn't going to like it. And she was more than right.  
  
"Because we're going to break into the hospital and steal Jill's files."  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Jill was lying down on her bed in Carlos's house, staring at the ceiling. She didn't have the energy to do much else lately. The worst part about the situation was that she was so helpless to do anything. All she could do was sit and wait, while thoughts of Chris plagued her mind. She yearned for him so badly. Jill wished more than anything that he could be with her during her final days.  
  
Her final days. Jill smiled bitterly at that thought. The doctor that Carlos had brought her to, some sort of specialist, could do nothing to help her. She knew that now. It was impossible to ask a man who had never dealt with zombies or biohazards to suddenly develop a cure for a zombie virus. The poor guy was just a doctor who had been a good friend of Carlos, and who was the only guy they could trust with the Umbrella information. He was working very hard to develop a new vaccine, and Carlos refused to let Jill give up hope, but she knew that hope was futile. The doctor had told her that from the looks of how the virus was progressing, she had less than a week before she turned. Less than a week before she became a zombie.  
  
But, if she couldn't spend her final days *with* Chris, at least she could think about him. She imagined him ten years from now, living happily, with thoughts of her erased from his mind. Maybe by then he'd be married, or have a child. She smiled at the thought of Chris having a son, just like him. More than anything Jill wished that she could give Chris a child, but she knew that it wasn't possible. But as long as Chris couldn't blame himself for her death, which she knew he would if he found out she was dying, he would be able to have whatever kind of life he wanted, and find the happiness that he deserved. *If only he was here with me now* she thought wistfully for the millionth time that week.  
  
It's not that she didn't appreciate what Carlos was doing for her. She was more grateful to him than he would ever now. He took care of her, he gave her hope, he was extremely sweet to her, and he was trying as hard as he could to make sure that his friend Dr. Goodson found a cure. But, he wasn't Chris, he wasn't the man that she loved. *I wish you were here Chris,* she thought again. Unfortunately for her, however, her wish was about to come true.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Chris stood outside of Carlos's house, wondering if he was doing the right thing. There were two main scenarios that played in Chris's head. In the first, Carlos answered the door and had no idea where Jill was, and Chris was right back where he started. In the second scenario, Carlos answered the door in a bathrobe, with a wedding ring on his finger, while Jill walked out of his room in a sexy piece of lingerie and asked if he was coming back to bed. Neither scenario was appealing, but if he had to choose, he'd rather the second one be true. He'd rather deal with a broken heart and know that Jill was okay than deal with the possibility that something awful had happened to her.  
  
He took a long puff from his cigarette, then discarded it, and walked towards the door. "Here goes nothing," Chris thought, and knocked on the door. He was almost surprised when Carlos answered rather quickly. His surprise was nothing, though, compared to the shock he saw on Carlos's face.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Carlos asked nervously.  
  
"I don't even get a 'hello' from an old friend?" Chris asked mockingly. When Carlos just stared back at him, Chris sighed. "Look, I didn't come here to pick a fight. I just want to know where Jill is. And I know you know, I can see it in your face, so don't even bother lying."  
  
Before Carlos even had a chance to lie, however, Jill walked towards the front door asking, "Carlos, what's going on?" When she saw Chris, her eyes widened as if she were a deer caught in headlights.  
  
Chris felt a wide range of emotions, all triggered just from the sight of her. At first he was happy. It had been so long since he had seen her last. Then he felt jealous because it seemed as if Jill had gotten a little too comfortable at Carlos's house. Then he felt angry that Jill put him through all this worry just so she could have a 'good time' with Carlos. But lastly, he felt relief at knowing she was okay, and she was safe. In fact, he was so relieved to see her that he didn't even notice how pale and sickly she looked.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she asked him angrily, with ice in her eyes.   
  
Chris was taken aback. He had imagined a lot of reactions from her, such as awkwardness, annoyance, maybe even a little pity. He was not prepared, however, for the pure anger he found in her eyes and her voice.  
  
"I just wanted to make sure that you were okay," he answered, suddenly unsure of himself. *Why does she keep looking at me like that?*  
  
"Of course I'm okay. I have Carlos here with me," she said, and traced a finger slowly and seductively down Carlos's bicep. "I thought I told you not to look for me."  
  
"I know…I just thought that-"  
  
"That I was in love with you," Jill interrupted. "Is that why you came? Well, I already told you…I don't love you, okay?"  
  
Chris felt like he had the wind knocked out of him. "I understand. But you didn't have to leave. We can still be friends." He felt a chill pass through him when Jill just laughed coldly. This wasn't like her… something was wrong.  
  
"No, you obviously don't understand, Chris. Well, let me explain it to you. It's not just that I don't love you. The truth is, you disgust me. You're like an emotionless machine. All you ever did was order me around. But, that night that we made lo-…that night that we had sex, I reached the height of my disgust. It was so awful, so pathetic. Every time I look at you, I'm reminded of that night, and I just want to puke. And that, my *friend,* is why I can't live with you. I tried to write you a note and spare your feelings, but you once again had no respect for anyone's wishes but your own, and had to come here. And naturally, you knew I'd be here because I was in desperate need of having a *real* man in bed."   
  
At the look of raw pain on Chris face, Jill thought she was going to break into little pieces. *Please leave, I can't keep this up much longer,* she thought. She was only able to keep up this act because she knew he'd be feeling even more pain if he stayed and found out she was turning into a zombie. But she wouldn't be able to keep it up much longer. It killed her to hurt him. *But just one final stab should do the trick…* "Of course, Carlos leaves nothing to be desired. We're in love."  
  
Chris wished that he were dead at precisely that moment. She was in love with Carlos. That was that. But his gut instincts, along with his stubborn heart, were telling him that something was wrong. With a firm resolve and a new strength, he asserted, "I don't believe you. I love you, Jill."  
  
With those words, Chris saw the ice melt in her eyes, and he saw her look at him the way she used to, with adoration in her eyes. The look soon went away though, and was replaced by the ice again. "If you won't believe my words, believe my actions," she said. With that she grabbed Carlos and kissed him as ostentatiously as she could, while pressing against his chest with her breast and rubbing against his manhood. Carlos, being first a man, secondly a man still in love with Jill, and thirdly a man in shock, instinctively responded, pulling her close to him and wrapping his arms around her tightly.  
  
Chris watched in shock for a minute, but then got in his car a drove off. He felt like he was going to puke. Or beat the crap out of someone. Or both. He was sure that a slow, torturous death would feel better than he felt at that moment. He wanted to kick himself. Why did he have to go after her? Why did he have to believe that she had been lying? He was such a fool. But no more. "Goodbye, Jill Valentine. Have a nice life," he muttered.  
  
  
  
When you were here before  
Couldn't look you in the eye  
You're just like an angel  
Your skin makes me cry  
You float like a feather  
In a beautiful world  
I wish I was special  
You're so fucking special  
  
  
But I'm a creep  
I'm a weirdo  
What the hell am I doing here?  
I don't belong here  
  
  
I don't care if it hurts  
I want to have control  
I want a perfect body  
I want a perfect soul  
I want you to notice when I'm not around  
You're so fucking special  
I wish I was special  
  
  
But I'm a creep  
I'm a weirdo  
What the hell I'm doing here?  
I don't belong here  
  
  
She's running out again  
She's running out  
She runs runs runs  
  
  
Whatever makes you happy  
Whatever you want  
You're so fucking special  
I wish I was special  
  
  
But I'm a creep  
I'm a weirdo  
What the hell am I doing here?  
I don't belong here  
I don't belong here  
  
  
_______________________________________________________________________________________  
*Song Credit: Creep by Radiohead  
  
Ahhhhhhh so much angst! What will happen? Do you care? Sorry again for the wait! 


	6. I Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams

Note: Thanks so much for the feedback, everybody. I greatly appreciate it. You guys are what   
keeps me going with this story. I probably would have just left it to the dust if it hadn't been for   
you guys. Thanks a lot :D.  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
I'm so tall  
Can't get over me  
I'm so low  
Can't get under me  
I must be all these things  
For I just threw out the love of my dreams  
  
He's in my eyes  
He's in my ears  
He's in my blood  
He's in my tears  
I breathe love and see him everyday  
Even though my love is a world away  
  
Oh he's got me wondering  
My righteousness is crumbling  
  
Never before have I felt this way  
I know what is right but want for him to stay  
I must be made of steel  
For I just threw out the love of my dreams  
  
He's in my eyes  
He's in my ears  
He's in my blood  
He's in my tears  
  
I think of, and see him everyday  
Even though my love is a world away  
  
And I see him everyday  
Even though my love  
Is a world away  
  
He's in my eyes  
He's in my ears  
He's in my blood  
He's in my tears  
I must be made of steel  
For I just threw out the love of my dreams  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
"No, Claire! Absolutely not," Rebecca shook her head emphatically. "We're not breaking   
into the hospital and stealing Jill's files! What are you nuts?" One look at Claire and Rebecca   
wondered why she even bothered to ask such a rhetorical question.  
  
"Come on, Becky! You can see that something really strange is going on. Why did Jill lie   
to us? And, if she was sick, why would she leave so suddenly?" Claire asked her friend.  
  
"Ladies, ladies, what is all the shouting about?" Leon inquired after walking into the room.   
"Can't a guy watch T.V. in peace?"  
  
"Leon! Thank god you're here. Help me explain to Claire that breaking into the hospital   
is *illegal* and an extremely bad idea," Rebecca begged.  
  
Leon simply shrugged. "It sounds like fun to me." When Claire gave him a winning   
smile, he smiled back at her and they looked at each other lovingly. Their trance was interrupted,   
however, by the resounding sound of Rebecca's hand smacking her forehead.  
  
"You two are impossible!" Rebecca cried out.  
  
Claire and Leon just ignored her. "So wait... why are we breaking into the hospital?"   
Leon wondered while scratching his head.  
  
"We have good reason to assume that Jill is sicker than she let on, and we want to find   
out if our suspicions are correct or not," Claire explained.  
  
"But it's none of our business!" Becky protested again. "If Jill is sick, and she wanted us   
to know, then she would have told us."  
  
"Come on Becky, you know how Jill is. She has trouble confiding in people. So, maybe   
she's out there somewhere, needing our help, but being too stubborn to ask for it," Leon   
countered.  
  
"Exactly," Claire agreed. Besides, her opinion may be a bit biased, but she thought that   
Chris certainly deserved to know if something was wrong with Jill. "Look, Leon and I are going to   
do this with or without you. So, are you going to help us or not?"  
  
Rebecca sighed in defeat. "Okay, okay," she muttered. "I'll help you. Now, what exactly   
do you want me to do?"  
  
Before answering, Claire squealed in delight and gave Rebecca a big hug. She cleared   
her throat and said, "Okay, now here's the plan..."  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was only seconds after Chris left that Jill fainted from exhaustion. She had exerted all   
of her energy in her act of deception. Carlos easily caught her, since he had already been   
holding her in his arms, and carried her into her room.  
  
"Dammit, Jill, why the hell did you have to go and do that?" he thought. The things she   
said, and more so the way she had said them, were so convincing that Carlos had almost   
believed her himself. And that kiss...  
  
*It would not be smart to think about that kiss,* Carlos scolded himself. He knew it was   
just a part of her act. The final blow to drive Chris away for good. But he couldn't let her do that.   
He loved her too much to see her suffer. This last week, seeing her slowly lose her hope as well   
as her will to live, almost killed him. The only person who could help Jill, as much as Carlos   
hated to admit it, was Redfield. He could see it in her eyes, the way she longed for Chris, and he   
wasn't going to sit around and do nothing about it any longer.  
  
"I'm sorry Jill. I know you're going to be extremely pissed off, but you just don't know   
what's good for you." Carlos gave her a soft kiss on the forehead, and his heart broke once again   
when he looked at her broken form. He quickly turned his eyes away from her, and soon after he   
left the house, determined to find Chris Redfield.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
Rebecca shook nervously outside of the hospital, wearing a pair of nurse scrubs. She   
had never done anything illegal in her life, and she still couldn't believe that she had let Claire talk   
her into this. "Just do it for Jill," she murmured softly to herself. Of course, when they found out   
that nothing was wrong, and they felt like stupid idiots, she was going to have to kill Claire.  
  
Leon was wearing operating scrubs, and Claire had on a doctor's lab coat. "I always   
wanted to marry a doctor," Claire joked and gave her fiancé an adoring kiss, which he happily   
returned.  
  
"Ahem," Rebecca cleared her throat and the two quickly broke apart, each muttering a   
weak 'sorry.'   
  
"So, Rebecca, you're going to steal Jill's file and I'm going to get her blood sample, got it?   
And Leon is going to be our lookout, and, if necessary, our decoy," Claire explained to her friend   
again.  
  
"Yep, I got it," Rebecca replied. She just wanted to get all of this over with.  
  
"Alright, let's do it," Leon said. He was the first to enter the building, with Claire and   
Rebecca following ten minutes later.  
  
Rebecca went into the file room, which contained shelves and shelves of patient files   
stacked neatly and alphabetically. *This shouldn't be too hard,* she thought to herself, and   
quickly found the file marked 'Valentine, Jill.' She was about to leave the room, when she heard   
somebody approaching and panicked. Not wanting to get caught, she locked the door and   
looked for another way out of the room. She paled when she saw the only other way out was the   
window.  
  
"Dammit! This door always jams," she heard a voice say from the other side of the door.   
"Now which key is the one for this door?"  
  
As she heard a few different keys being used, Rebecca just stood still in fear. Realizing   
that she had no other choice, she opened the window and cautiously climbed out, standing on the   
thin ledge. Just as she was able to get out of sight, she heard the door burst open.  
  
"It looks like some idiot left the window open again," Rebecca heard the same voice   
remark bitterly. Her heart dropped when she heard the soft click of the window being locked.   
Standing four stories above ground and shivering from the cold, with Jill's file under he arm,   
Rebecca thought miserably, "Now what am I going to do?"  
  
Meanwhile, Leon and Claire were on the other side of the hospital, waiting for the room   
that stored the blood samples to empty out. When Leon gave Claire the go-ahead signal, she   
entered the room nonchalantly and started to look through the blood samples. It took her a while   
before she found Jill's vial, because the samples were stored by the date they were examined.  
  
Before she was finished, Leon watched as a pretty blond nurse headed toward the blood   
storage room, and he quickly thought of a plan to intercept her. He started walking in her   
direction, and then pretended to accidentally collide into her. The impact caused the nurse to   
drop the files that she was carrying, and Leon apologized profusely.  
  
"I'm so sorry, let me help you with that," he told her, and helped to pick up her scattered   
papers.  
  
"It's okay. Let's just hope you're not as clumsy on the operating table as you are walking   
down the hall," she said flirtatiously. After all, it wasn't everyday that you bumped into a   
handsome, young doctor.  
  
"You must let me make this up to you," he offered, and gave her his most engaging   
smile.   
  
The nurse felt her heart flip flop. *He's so cute,* she thought dreamily. "And how do you   
suggest that you do that, Dr. -?"  
  
"Doctor, uh, Dr. Skippy," he replied, using the nickname that Claire used for him in the   
bedroom as it was the only name he could think of under pressure.  
  
"I'm Alice," she told him. "And you were saying something about making this up to me?"  
  
"Oh, right. Well, why don't you let me take you out to dinner sometime?" he proposed,   
just as Claire happened to walk out of the room. Neither Leon nor the nurse had seen her, so   
she stood a couple feet away and watched the scene angrily.  
  
"That sounds great. Here's my phone number," she said, and wrote it down on a small   
piece of paper. Then she slipped it into his hand, letting hers linger there for a little bit. "See you   
soon, Doctor Skippy," she stated seductively, and then winked at him before walking away.  
  
Leon was about to stop her, when he noticed that Claire was already out of the room   
waiting for him. He sighed in relief, but his sigh soon turned into a gulp when he saw the burning   
fury on her face. "Uh, Claire, let me explain," he pleaded.  
  
"Save it, 'Dr. Skippy,' " she said mockingly. "Let's go find Rebecca." Claire stalked off   
with Leon following behind quickly.  
  
Rebecca, unfortunately, was having bigger problems as she was still stranded on the   
window ledge. There was a fire escape a couple feet away, but it was far enough away that she   
would have to jump. When she realized that she had no other choice, she closed her eyes tightly   
and prayed for good luck. First, she threw the file she was holding onto the fire escape in   
Frisbee-like fashion. Then, she counted to three, and jumped with all her might in a horizontal   
direction and grabbed for the ledge. She was able to grab it, and she pulled herself up over the   
rail. Breathing in and out heavily, she sat down and regained her composure. Rebecca tried to   
open the fire exit door to the hospital, which to her luck was unlocked.   
  
When she came in, she leaned against the door in relief until a voice asked her, "What   
the heck do you think you were doing out there?"  
  
Rebecca jumped up with a start and answered meekly, "I was, uh, going outside for my   
cigarette break."  
  
The nurse supervisor who had stopped her seemed to believe that excuse, and walked   
away shaking her head. "Damn smokers."  
  
Wanting to get out of there as soon as possible, Rebecca practically ran down to the   
parking lot where Leon and Claire were waiting by the car. Neither one looked too happy.  
  
Claire noticed the file in Rebecca's hand and said, "Okay, we got everything, now let's get   
home fast." When they were in the car, Leon looked toward the backseat to see Rebecca still   
trembling with fear, and looked toward the front seat to see Claire staring out the window in   
anger. "Great, just great," he muttered and started the drive back home.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
Chris grabbed his suitcase and headed toward the door of his motel room, determined to   
check out and get back home immediately. He had searched for a bar for about an hour, but his   
search was in vain, for this useless little town he was in seemed to have nothing.   
  
When he opened the door, the last thing that he had expected to see, or wanted to see   
for that matter, was the face of Carlos Oliviera on the other side.  
  
"What do you want?" Chris growled with rage. "No, wait, let me guess. You wanted to   
rub it in? The fact that Jill loves you and not me? Well, I'm warning you, now is sure as hell not   
the time."  
  
Carlos shook his head. "No, that's not it."  
  
A doubtful look appeared on Chris's face, and he asked, "How did you find me here   
anyway?"  
  
Carlos shrugged. "I got lucky. It's the only motel around for miles, so I figured you'd be   
here. But that's not important right now. We really need to talk."  
  
"Frankly, I'm not interested in anything that you have to say," Chris commented. He   
barged past Carlos and walked down the hall, leaving Carlos to stare on in desperation.  
  
"She's dying…" Carlos called out, with a catch in his voice. He didn't want to have to tell   
Chris like this, but it was the only thing he could think to say that would stop him from leaving.   
  
And Carlos was right. Chris stopped immediately in his tracks and slowly put his bag   
down. He turned around and asked cautiously, "What did you say?" *I'm imagining things…* he   
thought.  
  
"Jill… is dying," Carlos repeated.  
  
Chris picked up his bag and walked back into his room, pushing Carlos in before him and   
slamming the door. "Listen asshole, this isn't funny, it's just sick. I don't know what kind of kicks   
you get out of torturing me, but if you say one more word I'm going to kick your ass," he bit out.   
"No one messes with Chris Redfield and gets away with it. No one. Got it?"  
  
Carlos just shook his head dejectedly. "Do you know how much I wish I just messing with   
you? But I'm not. Jill is dying, and she doesn't have much time left."  
  
Chris didn't want to believe it. In fact, for a second he didn't. Yet he couldn't ignore the   
look in Carlos's eyes, the pain in his voice, and his defeated manner. Chris's legs failed to   
support him and he sat down slowly on the bed. A million questions rose in his head, a million   
thoughts, a million regrets. The only word he could form out of his mouth was, "How?" His voice   
was raspy and he could hardly recognize it.  
  
He didn't need to elaborate, though, because Carlos understood the question. Chris   
wanted to know what she was dying of. Carlos explained everything, about the T-virus and Jill's   
unavoidable transformation into a zombie.  
  
After Carlos was done explaining, Chris stared into space and with absolute hatred in his   
voice he uttered, "Umbrella…" Carlos simply nodded.  
  
"Why are you telling me this? Jill was pushing me away, and I was about to leave   
forever. You could have had her to yourself," Chris wondered.  
  
Carlos looked down at the floor. "I know you've never trusted me. But I'm not that type of   
person. I love Jill, and I only want the best for her." He paused and then added, "She needs   
you."  
  
Chris put a hand on Carlos's shoulder in a gesture of camaraderie. "You're a good man.   
Jill was lucky to have you to turn to."  
  
Smiling, Carlos replied, "And now it's your turn to let her lean on you."  
  
Chris removed his hand and smiled back. His smile quickly faded, however, when the   
reality of the situation came back to him. Jill, *his* Jill, was dying… "I have one more question for   
you. Why did Jill leave, why did she push me away? Maybe I could have helped her in some   
way… "  
  
"I think that Jill should answer that one," Carlos responded, and Chris nodded in   
agreement.  
  
"Let's go, then," Chris said anxiously. He didn't want to waste any more time away from   
Jill. Not when he had so little of it left. *Don't worry, love. I'm coming,* he thought.  
  
  
  
  
________________________________________________________  
*Song Credit: I Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams by Weezer  
  
How will Jill react to Chris? Will Claire forgive Leon? What will Claire, Leon, and Rebecca do   
when they find out the truth? And Barry, where's Barry?!?! Most of these questions to be   
answered in the next chapter. Please keep reading, and keep replying! 


	7. Avalanche

Note: I'm sorry for the lack of updates. I've been busy trying to get myself into college :-). Also, the first marking period of school has been hell. I haven't read or written any fan fiction since school started. I just recently started reading some stuff again, and it inspired me to finish mine. If you're too pissed off at me to keep reading, I understand, but I don't want to hear about it. I have a life, too, and my every moment isn't dedicated to resident evil. If you're not pissed off at me and decide to read this, I hope you enjoy. I promise the next chapter will be out before the New Year starts. Thanks for reading!  
  
Oh and by the way, I didn't think about the saliva thing. That's a really good observation. Alas, it doesn't fit into my story so I'm going to pretend that saliva has no effect ;-D.  
  
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Getting sick of starting over  
  
On the same argument  
  
We can sit around and talk it over  
  
Or take a trip to clear our minds  
  
At the entrance of Mount Wilson  
  
It's feeling like the right decision  
  
Sometimes you go outside  
  
To get inside  
  
If I could only hear you say  
  
That you're down, but you're ok  
  
We should have said the things we felt  
  
Is it too late?  
  
Park the car and hit the trail  
  
The air feels sharp on our skin  
  
We'll see the snow as it is melting  
  
Spring must be on her way again  
  
We didn't see her coming for us  
  
I guess that's Mother Nature's way  
  
Sometimes you go outside  
  
To get inside  
  
If I could only hear you say  
  
That you're down, but you're ok  
  
We should have said the things we felt  
  
Is it too late?  
  
Trapped beneath the wall of snow  
  
You're only ten feet away  
  
Silence has a way of speaking  
  
Only now do we understand  
  
If I could only hear you say  
  
That you're down, but you're ok  
  
We should have said the things we felt  
  
Is it too late?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~  
  
Chris Redfield entered Jill's room quietly and watched her sleep. She looked so small and weak. *How could I have not noticed how sick she looked?* he wondered guiltily. *If only I hadn't been so preoccupied with my own damn problems, maybe I would have noticed and Jill wouldn't be in this situation right now.*  
  
While watching her sleep softly, Chris promised that he'd make it up to her. "From this point on, doll, you won't be able to get rid of me. And there's no way in hell I'm letting you die," he whispered forcefully. "I have a lot of plans for us in the future."  
  
Carlos had told him how long Jill had left. He couldn't imagine waking up a week later without Jill in the world. His motives for saving her weren't purely altruistic. Should she die, he didn't think he could go on living. He wanted to save Jill for selfish reasons as much as for her own good. All he had to do was figure out a way. But that could wait. Soon, Jill would wake up and they both would have a lot of explaining to do.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~  
  
"You have a lot of explaining to do!" Claire shouted, echoing her brother's thoughts from thousands of miles away. Only her remarks were directed at none other than the befuddled Leon Kennedy.  
  
*Poor Leon. I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of a Redfield's temper,* Rebecca thought as she watched the two fight. It's not that she was eavesdropping; Claire and Leon just hadn't bothered to take their business in private, as usual. Rebecca rolled her eyes and half- listened while she tried to analyze Jill's blood sample in her lab.  
  
"Claire, love, you aren't being fair!" Leon protested. She could be so stubborn sometimes. The only reason he even flirted with that blonde was to save her ass.  
  
"Fair? Fair?!?! How dare you talk to me about fair! Is throwing yourself at some floozie your definition of fair?" she spit back angrily.  
  
Leon groaned. "I wasn't throwing myself at her! I just had to find a way to stop her from going into the lab room so that you wouldn't get caught."  
  
At this point, Rebecca had had enough. She almost got killed today and wasn't in the mood to hear their pointless bantering. "Stop it! Just stop it!" she yelled.  
  
Claire and Leon stopped in their tracks and looked at the young redhead with surprise. Rebecca wasn't usually the type to lose her cool. "What's wrong?" asked Claire obliviously.  
  
Trying to keep her extreme frustration in check, Rebecca talked slowly as if she was relating something to two very small children. "You," she pointed at Claire, "love him. And you," she pointed at Leon," love her. Now, kiss and make up, or shut up! You two are retarded for each other, and you know it."  
  
Rebecca watched in exasperation as the two merely glared daggers at one another. She was about to give up when out of nowhere the two jumped into each other's arms and starting making out. *That's more like it,* she rolled her eyes.  
  
"I love you, Claire bear," Leon told her.  
  
"I love you too, Skippy," was Claire's reply. Soon enough, the two were in their bedroom and out of Rebecca's hair.  
  
"Finally, I can get some peace and quiet," sighed Rebecca, and she went back to her work on testing Jill's blood.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~  
  
Everything was hazy. Nothing made sense. Her head hurt and she found it extremely hard to concentrate. Nevertheless, she forced herself to open her eyes and became alarmed when she noticed somebody was with her. She immediately relaxed when she realized it was Chris Redfield. Remembering the situation she was in, however, Jill's body tensed up again.  
  
"You're awake," Chris commented, stating the obvious. There was so much to say between the two of them but he couldn't find the words. He just looked deep into her eyes and realized how beautiful she was. He had expected her to fight with him and try to push him away again, but she just stared back at him.  
  
Finally, after the tense moment of silence, Jill spoke. "You know." Chris just looked away, feeling as if he had somehow betrayed her. She moved her hand to his face and gently pushed it so that he was looking into her eyes again. "I'm so tired, Chris. I don't want to fight you anymore." Jill didn't have the energy to keep pushing him away.  
  
"You don't need to fight me," he replied delicately. "You never did."  
  
Jill nodded. "I know that now," she told him. And she did. Looking at him at that moment, she wondered how she could have ever thought that keeping him away was the best solution. "Can you forgive me?"  
  
"You know you don't even have to ask me that," he remarked. "But I have to know, Jill. Why did you do it? I could have helped you."  
  
"I lied to you because I had to prevent it," she said vaguely.  
  
Chris had no idea what she was talking about. "Prevent what?" he asked, confused. "The virus?"  
  
She shook her head. "No, not the virus. I had to prevent the look in your eyes that you have right now. I can see it written all over your face. Sadness, loss, and worst of all, guilt. I couldn't bear to the cause of that. I don't want to die thinking that you will go on blaming yourself for my death."  
  
"You're not going to die," he stated fiercely through gritted teeth.  
  
Jill just looked at him with sadness and patience in her eyes. "Yes, I am. Please accept that."  
  
"Jill," he pleaded softly. "Please, stop saying that."  
  
She looked away from him, with guilt clouding her features. His life would be ruined now, and it was all her fault. Finally she looked at him again, but this time she had determination in her eyes. "Listen, Chris," she started, "there's nothing more that I want than for you to be here by my side. But if you want to stay, you have to promise me two things."  
  
"Anything, I'll do anything," he assured her. There was nothing that was going to keep him away from his love, Jill Valentine. "Just name it, Valentine," he smiled slightly.  
  
"You have to promise me that you aren't going to blame yourself for this after I.. After this is over."  
  
He looked at her with pain in his eyes. How could he promise her that? The woman he loved was sitting on a bed, dying, and there was not a damn thing he could do about it. He should have figured this out earlier so that there would be more time to find a cure. He should have invaded every Umbrella lab until he found out how to stop his love from turning into. into one of those god-awful creatures. There are so many things that he could have done to stop this from happening. "I. I don't think I can," he choked out.  
  
As he looked at her, he could see her gaze harden. "Then get the hell out. I don't want you here."  
  
His eyes widened with desperation. "Fine, I promise," he lied. He'd say anything to stay close to her. "But you have to promise me something too. You have to stop feeling guilty about what you think you're doing to me." She looked at him with surprise. "What, you think I don't know what's going through your head? I can read you like a book, Valentine," he said lightly.  
  
"Touché," she replied. Jill was impressed. "Okay, it's a deal." She flashed a winning smile at him.  
  
Chris felt like he was on top of the world when he saw her smile. It had been so long since he had seen it, and who knows when he would see it again. "And what was the other thing? You said I had to promise two things." He regretted reminding her immediately when the smile fell from her face and she became serious again.  
  
"Do you have your gun?" she asked him.  
  
His hands instinctively went to his side where he always kept his gun holstered. "Of course," he told her, wondering what she was getting at.  
  
"When. I mean, *if* I turn into a zombie," she started, changing her wording so that it would be easier for him to accept, "you have to make sure that I don't hurt anyone. You have to kill me, Chris."  
  
A sick feeling found its way to Chris Redfield's stomach as he looked at her. "No freaking way," he spat out slowly.  
  
Jill sighed. "Chris, you understand that it has to be done. Besides, it won't be me anymore. You know that."  
  
Chris closed his eyes and let his thoughts weigh heavily on his mind. Now he knew how Claire must have felt when she had to get rid of Steve. How awful. "It won't come to that," Chris said more determined than ever.  
  
"But, if it does." Jill prodded him,  
  
"If it does I know what has to be done," Chris finished. Jill stopped pressing, knowing that his answer was the best she was going to get out of him. "Now, it's time to get off of this heavy stuff," he wriggled his eyebrows at her mischievously. He knew that he needed to keep her in high spirits.  
  
Giggling at how silly but yet boyishly cute he looked, Jill decided to play along. "And what exactly do you suggest, Mr. Redfield?" she asked flirtatiously.  
  
"Well, frankly, it's been way too long since I heard you say that you love me," he commented with a light, joking voice. But deep inside, he wasn't joking and he wasn't being playful. A part of him was nervous that she really didn't love him. After the letter she gave him and the incident with Carlos, he couldn't really be sure.  
  
"Oh, Chris," Jill sighed and clasped his hands with hers. "I love you," she said seriously, so that he would know she wasn't kidding with him. "I've always loved you, and I always will love you. You're my Redfield."  
  
All his doubts were washed away and he smiled lovingly at her. "And you're my Valentine," he told her and leaned in to kiss her. The kiss was not passionate like their first kiss ever, but gentle and sweet and filled with promises of the future.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~  
  
"Oh my God," Rebecca stated as she examined Jill's blood for the tenth time. "This can't be." she thought. But sure enough, Rebecca made the discovery of Jill's mutating blood cells and figured out what was happening.  
  
"Claire! Leon! Get in here now!" she shouted as loud as she could. In a few seconds Leon was running down the stairs in boxers and Claire followed clad only in a t-shirt.  
  
"Where's the fire? Are you okay?" Leon asked worriedly.  
  
Rebecca shook her head. "No, I'm not okay."  
  
Walking over to her friend, Claire placed a comforting hand on Rebecca's shoulder. "What's wrong, Becky?" she asked lightly.  
  
"I just got the results on Jill's blood test," Rebecca stated and solemnly told them the results. She watched as Claire's face lost all color and Leon's jaw tensed.  
  
"You're wrong, Becky," Leon argued. "Do the tests again. You must have missed something. You-"  
  
"No, Leon," Claire interrupted. "It all makes sense now. Everything. Our conversation about." she trailed off.  
  
Curious, Rebecca asked, "About what?"  
  
Claire settled her gaze on a distant object and related the events of some time ago to her friends. "I was in the kitchen, and I guess I looked upset because Jill asked me what was wrong. I told her that I was feeling a little guilty about moving on with Leon because Steve was dead." A slight flash of pain showed in Leon's eyes, but he kept it to himself because he knew that there were much more important matters at hand. "I told her that it would be easier to move on if he wasn't dead, because now I have to live with this burden of guilt everyday of my life."  
  
After a pause of reflection, Claire looked into Rebecca's eyes. She couldn't bear to look into Leon's right now. "Don't you see? Jill knew what was happening to her, and she left because she didn't want Chris to feel guilty for moving on. It would be easier for him to move on with a broken heart than if he knew she died, so she told him that she didn't love him and ran away."  
  
"Oh, how awful!" Rebecca cried. "Poor Jill! Poor Chris! Poor us!"  
  
Leon looked somberly towards the ground. Not only did he find out that the woman of his dreams felt guilty about being with him, but he also found out that one of his best friends was dying. "We have to save Jill," he remarked.  
  
"Rebecca, is there anything that you can do?" Claire asked hopefully.  
  
"Well, judging by the rate these cells are mutating, I would guess that Jill doesn't have much time left," Rebecca replied gravely. "But that sure as hell doesn't mean that I'm not going to try. You guys should try and find out if Chris knows what's going on and if he's found Jill yet. I'm going to try to work on a cure."  
  
Leon went off to call Barry and Claire tried to call Chris's phone. She wondered if her brother knew what was going on. *If he does, I'm sure that he's really devastated.* She thought sadly. She wished that she could shield her brother from the pain, as he had tried to shield her. After the events that occurred with Steve, she knew what her brother was going through. And she couldn't even image the despair that Jill was feeling, trying to go through this alone. "Oh Becky, I really hope you can find a cure," she thought. "If not, things will never be the same."  
  
  
  
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*Song Credit: "Avalanche" by ON  
  
Well, I sense that this story is coming to a close. There's about one chapter left in it, maybe two. Please read and reply about any comments, concerns, or questions you want answered. Thanks for those of you who are still reading. 


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